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Traveling? Here are some ways to save money

By Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register

Updated:
07/31/2017 08:32:41 AM EDT

Book far in advance at popular hotels, like the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park, to get the most affordable rooms. The Old Faithful can be booked starting May 1 for the following calendar year.
COURTESY ROBERT NILES

We all love vacations, don't we? Except you Type A folks out there who need one more than the rest of us combined. But you can spend a fortune on them, especially if you need to eat and sleep on your trip. Here are 10 tips for saving money.

1. Book early. There is no benefit to waiting until the last minute to book, unless there's a huge cancellation fee involved. Nowadays, hotel computer systems use "dynamic pricing" to raise the price of rooms as the availability declines, so the same room you thought about reserving on Wednesday might cost more when you get around to actually doing it on Sunday. Now, you do want to check cancellation policies. Personally, I will not book any room that is nonrefundable, even if it means I would have saved a few bucks. Most chains will let you cancel for free within a day of your arrival, so there's no reason not to book early.

2. Do the opposite. If you're traveling over a holiday that caters to families, stay at a business hotel. It will be empty and offer special rates. Go to Palm Springs in the summer, when it's hot but the prices are super-cheap. Go to Disneyland resort in January, when the kids are back in school. Personally, I love Europe in the winter. I wear my coat, feel invigorated and mingle with locals, not tourists.

3. Don't park at the hotel. Hotel parking lots are notoriously expensive, so look around for cheaper overnight parking at nearby lots.

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This worked for us in the San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, where we saved a bundle by parking in the "Park It On Market" garage for $15 a night, and walking a short distance to our lodging. (However, make sure you're not arriving before a Padres game, when they jack the price up substantially. If so, give them a call and find out what to do.) The last time I stayed at the Riverside Mission Inn, I was just about to pull into the pricey valet parking when I noticed an empty street stall right in front. I pulled in, then ran around and talked to people, to make sure I could legally park there overnight. I was a tiny bit worried about street crime, but my cheap side won out. No problem, didn't have to feed the meter, and when I came out in the morning, the car was fine. If you're pondering a few different hotels, consider the value of one with free parking, too.

4. Look for a free hot breakfast. You can save $50 a day or more for your family simply by picking a hotel that offers you a free breakfast, and I don't mean lukewarm coffee and a sweet roll. My favorite has always been Embassy Suites, but Hyatt Place, Residence Inn, Country Inn and Suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Clarion also offer free hot breakfasts, some made to order.

5. Get that free wi-fi. Are you kidding me? You can pay as much as $25 to access the internet from your room at some hotels, so make sure you join the hotel chain's loyalty club, which will typically give you free wi-fi as one of your benefits. Or stay at a midrange hotel with few amenities, which will typically give you wi-fi and probably parking, too, for free. Really, you're just sleeping in the room, right?

6. Add up the true cost. When you look at a hotel rate, nowadays you need your calculator to figure out how much you'll actually pay. Add on any resort fee, parking and wi-fi to come up with the actual cost of the room. It's annoying but necessary.

7. Join the free loyalty programs. In addition to free wi-fi, joining the hotel's rewards program means you'll be notified of deals and specials, and some chains will now also offer you special rates. For example, I just got an email informing me that I could get 30 percent off on select Fairmont hotels if I stay three nights or more. Being a loyalty member can also make the hotel check-in staff nicer to you, because they see that designation when they check you in, and they may be more amenable to giving you a nicer room. And, by the way, did you ask for a free upgrade? They might say no, but it never hurts to ask.

8. Travel overnight. If you take a red-eye flight or a sleeper train, you'll pay for one less hotel night, and get to your destination while you're asleep, saving both time and money. Yes, you'll be staggering around the first day, tired, but it might just be worth it. Sleeper trains are fun, and red-eye flights are cheaper than during the day. If you're traveling with kids, I recommend red-eyes even more, as the kids tend to fall asleep and stay asleep when the lights go out, making your life easier.

9. Stay near a grocery store. If your lodging is near a market used by locals, you can save a ton of money over tourist-oriented snack shops. Walk over and see if there's a service deli, and get takeout instead of calling room service. Buy bottled water instead of paying $3 in the room. Get a bottle of wine to drink before you go out to eat. Sometimes they'll also have small souvenirs like postcards and coffee mugs more cheaply than you'd find in the hotel gift shop. I usually also ask the checkout clerk if she has a loyalty club card she can swipe for me, so I can save even a few extra bucks.

10. Use the kitchen. Now, don't roll your eyes at me, but I just want to point out that hostels have kitchens free for guests to use. And nowadays nearly all of them have private rooms, so you're not crammed into a dorm. You get a cubby to put your food in, and space in the refrigerator, and there are plenty of cooking supplies. You can save a fortune, especially if you have finicky kids. Some hostels even give you free pancake batter on weekends to make your own. Another option is a condo or kitchenette, which often doesn't cost much more than a simple hotel room, but provides much more value.

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